Summer Does Funny Things To Your Head
by Pyg
Summary: Set in the summer before 6th year, an alternate course to the HarryGinny and RonHermione romances, while the main events of HBP remain the same.
1. Potato

Chapter One - Potato

On receiving their OWL results, it was generally felt, by Ron and Harry at least, that there was something worth celebrating. A thick blanket of depression still hung over Harry's head, but the shout of a word he knew could at least help him forget it for a short time raised his spirits considerably.

"Quidditch!" Ron yelled, already out of the door and running towards the broom shed, Harry grinned and soon caught up with his friend, Ginny was glad of anything to escape Fleur, and, as she explained to her irritated mother, without her the teams would be uneven. With a final glance at the OWL results sheet, Hermione reluctantly followed.

Ron and Harry were already in the air, shouting at the others to hurry up, Ginny was ready to take off. In a moment Hermione joined them, rather unsteadily. Ron held an old football under his arm which was to be used as a quaffle.

"Weasley's versus Potter and Her-me-own." grinned Ron teasingly, he apparently had less trouble forgetting the worries of the rest of the world than the other three.

The ball was thrown in the air, Hermione backed away from it while Harry and Ginny sped towards it at the same time. They found themselves heading straight towards each other, an unavoidable collision unless one of them gave in and turned away. It was Harry who pulled his broom away from the crash, a second later and it would have been dangerous, a second after that they would have collided. Ginny laughed triumphantly, as the ball flew undisturbed over Hermione's head into Ron's hands.

Half an hour later it became obvious that even Harry's quidditch skills could not make up for Hermione's apparent fear of the ball, and she left their make-shift pitch in disgust, muttering something about reading instead. Harry did slightly better on his own. As the sun began to set, they returned inside, exhausted but happy, reluctant to remember that outside of the sanctuary of the Burrow, the world was in chaos.

As usual for dinner that night, Mrs Weasley had prepared far more food than was necessary.

"Pass the potatoes, Ginny." Ron said through a mouthful of food.

"Ron, you already have three times more than everyone else." Hermione said, in a voice which suggested she cared less than she wanted to make it seem.

"I wasn't aware I required a second mother, Hermione." Ron scowled, "Pass the potatoes, Ginny."

Ginny obliged, saying only "You'll regret it when you're fat." Ron rolled his eyes and continued to eat. "Do you want some, Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head, continuing to shovel food into his mouth, and seemingly unable to tear himself away from the Daily Prophet article he was reading. It was only when Ginny had diverted her attention, did he allow himself to glance at her. 


	2. Stench

**Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. I actually realise now (despite vigorous reading through to check for mistakes) that nothing really happened, I'm going to try and make my first chapters a bit more interesting in the future. This one's a bit more eventful, but it all explodes in chapter 3.**

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Chapter Two - Stench

"Ron it stinks in here!" Hermione gasped, as they entered Ron's bedroom.

"Does it?" he sniffed deeply, and shrugged, "I must have gotten used to it, I don't smell anything."

"He claims," Ginny said, through the sleeve she was using to cover her nose, "That Fred and George let off something experimental in here last time they were home. I have other theories."

Harry smirked underneath his own sleeve, glad Fred and George had chosen Ron's room, rather than their own, where he was staying, to test their latest stink bomb.

Hermione looked around, "Ron…is it not time you, well…" she looked for a tactful way to say it, found none and so said out right, "Replaced the Chudley Cannons wallpaper with something slightly more mature?"

Ron looked shocked, Ginny stifled a giggle, Harry, aware of his friends over sensitive feelings on his choice of décor, stepped in quickly.

"Who's up for a game of quidditch?" he said, forcing a smile.

Three days had passed since their first lazy summer day. More reports of deaths came daily and at night Harry barely slept as he tried to accept the chaos Voldemort was hurling at the world. But during the day, in the blazing sun and the tranquillity of the Weasley's garden, it was easy to forget. Summer did funny things to your head.

"Me!" Ginny beamed, although she was unsure if it was because she wanted to avoid another of Ron and Hermione's less than friendly fights, or because Harry looked at his best on a broomstick.

As Harry and Ginny left, Ron looked around, "The wallpaper isn't that bad is it?"

Hermione looked at the glaring orange walls, "I suppose not," she lied.

Ron smiled, from underneath her sleeve, Hermione did too.

Later that night, Arthur returned home. It was the first time since Harry's very first night he'd actually seen Mr Weasley, he'd always returned too late from work. Now, he was carrying a box.

"Arthur!" Molly beamed as he entered. Black rims circled Mr Weasley's eyes, and he sank gratefully into a chair.

"Early home today." he gave a tired smile, "I mean…home early today. Yes, I'm home early. I might get called out later again but I think even the Minister will allow me a little break."

Harry raised his eyebrows, Mr Weasley must really be exhausted if he'd been willing to tear himself away from the Ministry.

"I brought these." Arthur patted the box on the table in front of them, "It's muggle music. Thought you might like it particularly Harry. At first the department thought it was some kind of dark magic and confiscated it. But," even in his state of exhaustion he managed to puff out his chest in pride, "Using my considerable knowledge of muggle artefacts, I managed to identify these as muggle music devices. They call them "CD's" in the muggle world. And this," he pulled a portable discman out of the box, "is used to transmit the music, it's called a "CD player". Isn't that right, Harry?"

"Er, yes." said Harry, surprised that Mr Weasley had got the names of the objects right.

"I may go now. To bed." Mr Weasley said, and disappeared up the stairs, still wearing his coat and shoes.

Ron peered inside the box suspiciously. "What do these do then, Harry?" he asked.

"It's music." Harry replied, ever amused by Ron's ignorance when it came to the muggle world, "See you put the CD in here," he took a CD out of its case and put it into the (relatively old looking) CD player. "Put the headphones on." he handed the said headphones to Ron, who simply looked at them.

"Like this." Hermione sighed, taking them from them and placing them over his head. Ginny watched, curiously.

"Then you press play." Harry pressed the 'play' button, and watched Ron jump as music suddenly started playing.

"I didn't know muggles could make things like this!" he said, picking up the CD player and peering at it from all angles.

Later still that night, Harry and Ron had decided to take a last fly around the garden on their broomsticks. From Ginny's bedroom window, she and Hermione watched them. Ron seemed slightly…drunk, although he swore he hadn't had a thing to drink. He was still listening to the music and singing along loudly. Harry simply watched Ron, whereas the Weasley somersaulted and flew figures of eight around the garden, Harry flew in a straight circle. He seemed quiet, thoughtful, he laughed a lot less now, Ginny noticed, but then who could blame him?

"God, he's an awful singer." Hermione murmured, making Ginny start, she'd forgotten her friend leant against the window sill beside her. Ginny glanced at her, and was surprised to find the same look in her best friends eyes as she had seen often enough in the eyes of other infatuated friends.  
"You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking about because if you ARE thinking what I think you're thinking about then, well…" she looked back out at the noisy garden, "I don't know what you see in him."

Hermione gave her a sideways glance, and paused before saying, "Dunno what you're talking about." but the pause told Ginny she was right. She could almost forgive Hermione though for what she had presumed no girl was going to feel for her brother (it's a sister thing), summer did funny things to your head.


	3. Midnight

Chapter Three - Midnight

Given that Harry was used to his birthday barely being acknowledged when at the Dursley's, it was an extreme and pleasant surprise to find a small pile of gifts waiting for him when he came downstairs on the morning of his turning 16.

He received various boxes of chocolate frogs and sweets. Hermione bought him 'A Guide to Seekers from Around the World'. It had a picture of Viktor Krum on the front cover, Ron had rolled his eyes and muttered "We know why she got that then don't we."

Ron himself had got him a Harry Potter action figure, fully animated along with its own wand, able to cast 3 different spells, and it could say over 50 different words and phrases when you pressed the Hogwarts logo on the figures school uniform.

Fred and George had sent over a bag marked 'Weasley's Wicked Wizardry for Friends You Are No Longer Fond Of'. It was accompanied by a note wishing Harry a happy birthday, and saying they would be home for an hour or two in a few days, to pick up a couple of the boxes currently being stored in their old bedroom.

All in all, Harry had a birthday which was as relaxed and happy as it could hope to be under the circumstances. It was marred only by Lupin bringing grisly tidings of Dementor and Death Eater attacks during Harry's birthday tea. After this, the mood was forced by Mrs Weasley into something resembling happiness, but it wasn't what it had been before. From across the table, Ginny watched Harry, and noticed that not even his action figure exclaiming 'I like Quidditch!' in a voice which in no way sounded like Harry's own, could persuade him to cheer up.

Harry retired to bed early that night, with his Guide to Seekers Everywhere, however even when he turned out the light and attempted to shut his eyes, they were forced open, and he stared blankly into the darkness, his head spinning with the news Remus had brought, and the reports they had already heard. It was a little before midnight when he gave up on sleep, and, putting on his glasses and a pair of shoes, he padded as quietly as he could into the Weasley's garden.

In the dark, he was unable to see the broomstick he grabbed from the broom shed, but on entering the air he guessed it to be one of the oldest there was.

Ginny too, couldn't sleep. She lay silently, her mind full of Harry, and wishing there was something she could do to help him, as she struggled to shut her eyes she became away that there was something in the garden. A cold fear swept over her as the stories Lupin had told them of the Death Eaters suddenly came back to her. She leaned up in bed, slightly, ever so slightly so she was able to see out of the window. She grinned.

Lit only by the small light of his wand, Harry circled the garden on a broomstick which appeared as though it had probably been Bill's when he was 10. She crept to the window, doing her best not to wake the sleeping Hermione, and opened it slowly to make as little noise as possible.

As Harry flew, the garden was quiet. Quieter than he'd known it to be at night before, no crickets, no birds. Perhaps the animals sensed the atmosphere of the world. As he flew close to the house once more, he was surprised to see Ginny watching him. She covered her face with her hands, the sudden bright light of his wand blinding her.

"Put that out!" she whispered, furiously. He did so, and they held their midnight conversation in darkness.

"What are you doing up?" he asked,

"I was going to ask you that." she replied, smiling to herself.

"You never got me a birthday present." he said.

She turned to look at the clock in the room behind her, managing to make out the hands as her eyes grew more accustomed to the darkness. "It's past midnight now. It's not your birthday anymore."

"Do I not deserve something for turning sixteen?"

She gave a smile he couldn't see, unable to find the words to tell him that he deserved the whole world. Instead she kissed him softly. Something at the back of Harry's mind told him that it was wrong, this was his best friends little sister, that Ron would hate him. Another voice told him that he'd stopped caring about all of that the moment she kissed him. For a few seconds at least, the worries which had weighed on his shoulders since Sirius' death lifted. Behind Harry lay the whole world, he forgot all about it. 


	4. Fight

**This is my favourite chapter so far, it was good fun to write. Thanks a lot for all the reviews I've got so far. I love getting reviews, they fill my inbox. A couple of people have commented on the length of the chapters, I think this may be the longest one yet. I'm a bit bad at writing long chapters because I like ending them at dramatic places, so it often ends up with only 1 or 2 pages. Here it is, anyway:**

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Chapter Four - Fight

The next day, letters from Hogwarts and book lists arrived all around, and Harry discovered that he had been made Quidditch Captain. Even this could not drag his mind away from Ginny for very long, and he could not stop himself from glancing at her from the corner of his eye whenever possible.

After this, another midnight meeting followed, and they sat against a tree at the bottom of the Weasley's garden, quietly talking about all that had happened, about thoughts and fears and feelings that Harry would not even share with Ron and Hermione. They talked about their friends also, and the impending romance which both Ron and Hermione obviously wanted, but they wished they'd hurry up and get on with. They sat like this until dawn, when they reluctantly returned to their beds, tired but happy. And when Harry awoke late the next morning, for the first time since Sirius' death, he felt like they were winning the battle.

The next morning, so late for breakfast it was almost lunchtime, Harry and Ginny finally appeared downstairs.

"There you are!" Ron exclaimed, still in his pajamas himself, "I thought we would never get around to doing anything today!"

"When do we do anything as it is?" Ginny rolled her eyes, and as Ron, under the orders of his mother, disappeared up the stairs to get dressed, she squeezed Harry's hand quickly.

Mrs Weasley was holding two steaming plates of pancakes, she looked at them a little oddly for a moment. Harry and Ginny gave her their best 'innocent' faces, but Molly was a little smarter than that. She beamed at them as she put the plates down in front of them, as if she had just let herself in on the secret.

An hour later, Hermione was lying on her bed reading as Ron entered the room, she sat up suddenly.

"Don't you knock, Ron?"

"No. You coming down to play quidditch?"

Hermione pulled a face to indicate that she didn't want to, which was hardly surprising as Hermione on a broomstick was something even Harry managed to laugh at.

"Come on…." he pleaded, wanting to tell her that when she was on a broomstick, rather than her usual know-it-all persona, she looked unsure of herself, as though she might fail, he thought she looked more beautiful than he'd ever seen her then.

"Without…the teams…" he stumbled over the words he wanted to say and somehow in the midst of that, "We'll miss you." managed to slip out. He blushed, trying to find some way to redeem himself from admitting that he'd miss her.

Hermione raised her eyebrows but decided to help him, "You mean you'd miss having someone to laugh at."

Ron squared his shoulders and raised his chin, to re-assert himself, "Yeah." he said, "That's what I meant." He turned to look out of the window.

Harry and Ginny were standing on the grass, brooms in hand, waiting for him and Hermione. They were talking, laughing, and then Harry looked around them, as if to check that they were alone. Then Harry and Ginny kissed.

Upstairs, Hermione said, "Ron…" but she was unable to continue her sentence, as Ron turned from the window, now a deep, angry shade of red and ran out of the room, yelling a threat he didn't manage to finish.

As Ginny entered the house to find where her brother and friend had got to, Ron stormed out of it. She wrongly assumed that he and Hermione had fought, and ran upstairs to see if her friend was ok. When she got there, Hermione looked as though she were in a state of shock.

"What happened?" Ginny said, breathless.

Hermione shook her head, "I have no idea." Then they heard a shout from the garden below, and they went to the window to find out what exactly had just happened.

Ron pinned Harry against the broom shed, Harry too surprised to fight back.

"Aren't you supposed to be my mate?"

"What?"

Ron pushed his friend harder against the shed, Harry had now pretty much figured out what was going on, but the look on Ron's face told him it was a better idea to stay where he was for now.

"My little sister. Don't ever touch her."

Fred and George appeared in the garden from nowhere, apparently having just apparated. They looked puzzled.

"Oh dear." Fred said, "We did come to see Miss Grainger and our favourite Potter."

"And we're not referring to our little brother, who has,"

"Apparently,"

"Gone potty."

"Is it really a good idea to murder young Lightning Face, Ronald?" they asked, now looking quite calm and faintly amused.

"Him." Ron said, not taking his eyes from Harry, breathing heavily, "Him and Ginny. Here. In the garden. Kissed."

Fred and George raised their eyebrows simultaneously, and looked at each other.

"Ah."

"Well in that case."

"Carry on."

And they wandered into the house.

Harry glanced up at the window where Ginny and Hermione stood, watching. Hermione looked concerned, but Ginny as though she were waiting to see what he would do next.

Harry pushed Ron off him, the redhead falling to the ground and looking more furious than before. He took a swing at Harry and soon they rolled on the grass, kicking and hitting each other as hard as they possibly could. And then, just as Ginny was about to perform a body bind on them both, they seemed to recall something of their friendship, and stopped.

They stood a few feet away from each other, breathing heavily. Harry had lost his glasses and had a black eye, while Ron's nose was bleeding. Ron looked as if he were about to yell another death threat, when Harry said, in a low, furious whisper:

"Look around you Ron. Look outside your stupid, thick skull for once, and look around you. Look at everything you've got."

"What?" Ron shouted, "I know you've got money, Potter. You don't need to rub it in."

"No." this was a yell but afterwards he reduced his voice once again to a whisper, "No. You don't know, I would give every single galleon in Gringotts for what you have here. You've got a family, brothers and a sister and parents who love you. A real home and a childhood you actually want to remember."

Ron was silent.

"What do I have, Ron? My parents are dead. Sirius is dead." he spat out the final word as though he wished it had never entered his mouth at all, "And my best mate wants to ruin the last thing that's making me happy. Thanks Ron, thanks a lot"  
Harry turned and tread quickly to the end of the garden, Ron stormed into the house. And as he passed Ginny on the stairs, as she ran to Harry, he was still unwilling to admit he was wrong, although he now knew it.

Harry sat against the tree where he had waited for Ginny the previous night, his head in his hands. When Ginny came to him she hugged him, laying his head on her lap and stroking his hair. They sat like this for hours, not talking, they didn't need to.

Hermione spent the day alone, occasionally helping Mrs Weasley in the kitchen, with all the uncomfortable silences of people who do not want to admit that something is wrong. At one point, Ron entered the kitchen, Mrs Weasley was unsure whose side to take and so busied herself peeling potatos. Hermione glared at him as forcefully as she could. He attempted to ignore her, and when he went back up the stairs to his bedroom, she followed him.

"You're a stupid git, you know that Ron Weasley?" She stood in his bedroom, and at first he pretended not to hear her, but couldn't help himself and turned to look at her, still angry from his fight with Harry earlier.

"And you're a damn know-it-all who sticks her stupid big nose where it doesn't belong." he replied, unable to keep the immature insults out of his answer.

"Doesn't it sometimes strike you that maybe if you weren't such an arrogant, self-centred…" she struggled for a word to finish the sentence, "God, Ron. Did you see what you did to him? All because of your stupid, petty, over-protective…" Once again she found herself unable to finish the sentence.

Ron just looked at her, his lip curled, "Well maybe if you weren't such a swot who hates the thought that anyone might be better than her at anything then maybe you'd have more friends, and wouldn't have to hang around with me. The stupid, petty, over-protective…"

Hermione gritted her teeth, "You're so immature Ron. Lazy, and arrogant, and jealous, over-protective for no real reason, and you have to give Harry more worries, don't you? At a time when he needs his friends. Because you hate it that so many terrible things have happened to him, because it means he's the centre of attention rather than you. That's what you'd like, isn't it?"

"That isn't true, Hermione, and you know it. You just won't admit that someone other than you might be right for once. Get out of my room Hermione, and don't bother coming back."

Tears filled Hermione's eyes as something which she took to be a revelation hit her, "I hate you Ron." she hissed, and ran from the room before the tears could fill her eyes.


	5. Photograph

**Only two more chapters to go folks! (Yeah I plan, I'm lost if I don't know what I'm supposed to be writing). Are you bored yet? That's a shame 'cos I'm going to post the last two chapters anyway.

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Chapter Five - Photograph 

That night, despite having sat with each other until Mrs Weasley insisted they come in and eat, Harry and Ginny planned to meet at midnight once again. As Ginny pulled on shoes and a jacket, she was surprised suddenly by a bright light.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed as she spun around to find out its reason. Hermione was sitting up in bed, holding her lit wand. Ginny raised her arm in front of her face to shield her eyes, "Did I wake you up?"

"Yes," Hermione said, "Where are you going?"

Realising that after the day she and Harry had spent, their relationship was now public knowledge at least, if not official, even in the quiet midnight conversations. "To meet Harry."

As her eyes became accustomed to the light, Ginny was surprised to see Hermione's eyes were red and swollen, as though she had been crying. "What's the matter?"

Hermione shrugged, looking down and avoiding meeting Ginny's gaze. Ginny glanced at the window, all to aware that Harry would be waiting for her, but this was more important. She sat down on Hermione's bed, cross-legged, next to her.

"What's the matter?" she repeated.

"It's just…" Hermione began, still not looking up. When she didn't continue, Ginny found it easy to guess, she had already heard an account of the argument earlier.

"Hermione…he's been like this for 16 years, admittedly I wasn't born for one of those years, but I have reliable witnesses. I wouldn't count on him changing now."

Hermione muttered something, still staring at her hands, which sounded like "I hate him…"

Ginny sighed, "Oh dear. Hermione, I don't think you're as smart as everyone else seems to think. You're confusing two very big emotions right there."

Hermione knew she was right, knew that in Ron's bedroom she'd said the words for effect, and here with Ginny she still didn't want to admit to herself.

Ginny got up from the bed, and placed a box of tissues beside her. "If it helps," she said, "He's had a picture of you at the Yule Ball under his pillow for nearly two years now." Then she left, knowing Hermione would prefer to be alone now.

The next day, Harry and Ginny exited their bedrooms at the same time, and she beat him to the bathroom. However just as she was about to close the door in his face, she leaned up and kissed him, and said, "Don't go to breakfast without me."

When they did descend into the kitchen, they were holding hands, on Ginny's insistence. Ron scowled, Mrs Weasley and Hermione beamed. Fleur said, "'Arry and Ginny, they are together?"

Harry blushed, but Ginny said "Yes." defiantly, gave Ron a pointed smile, and led Harry by the hand to the breakfast table.

Later, Hermione, Ginny and Harry sat outside, enjoying the sun. Ron had not been invited to join them, and if he had, he would of declined. Instead he sat in his bedroom, playing with the Harry Potter action figure he had found discarded on the stairs. At the same time as the plastic wizard said, "I'm the Boy Who Lived!" Fleur entered the room.

Ron opened and shut his mouth several times, "Ron." she said, smiling. Ron was still to taken by surprise to say anything, "I am returning to London tomorrow, 'owever I feel I must say goodbye, as I leave early."

"Ok." Ron croaked. "Bye." and immediately kicked himself for saying it.

"I wish to say also, although eet is not my concern really…." she paused, and then continued on, "I think you should forgive your 'Arry, 'e is very troubled. And I see 'e loves your Ginny very much. I know 'ow you feel Ron, I 'ave a leetle sister also, you must not forget? 'Owever, if I knew my own sister to be 'appy, I would allow 'er that chance. I know you know 'ow they feel Ron, for the way they look at each other? I see it ees the same way you look at your 'Ermione."

Inside his head Ron was indignant at being lectured by the most beautiful woman in the house. Was she the most beautiful? No! Now wasn't the time to think like that. "Ok." he said again, and kissing each cheek, Fleur left.

That night, after dinner, Ron met Ginny on the stairs. "Ginny?" he said, unsure if she would even speak to him.

"What?" she looked at him with contempt.

"Sorry," he muttered, looking at the ground.

Ginny sighed to show she was still annoyed at him but glad he was making progress, "Tell Harry." she said, and carried on walking.


	6. Charmed

Chapter Six - Charmed

Harry and Ginny sat on the grass near the bottom of the garden, sheltered from the heat in the shade of a large old tree. Their quiet enjoyment of each other was interrupted by the appearance of Ron. Harry attempted to ignore him, but Ginny, now aware of his intentions, rose herself from Harry's lap, much to his annoyance, and disappeared into the house, under the context of getting something to drink.

Finally Harry was forced to acknowledge Ron's presence, "What?" he said sharply, not looking at him but playing with a piece of grass between his fingers.

Ron stared down at the ground, and scuffed it with his feet, muttering something unintelligible, and looking for all the world like a naughty schoolboy talking to an angry teacher.

"What was that?" Harry scowled, he could see Ginny watching them from the kitchen window, and knew she wouldn't come back until the conversation was finished.

"Sorry, mate." Ron said, just loud enough to be heard.

Harry's expression softened, "Thanks."

Ron forced himself to look up, "So we ok then?"

Harry grinned, "Yeah,"

"Good, 'cos that 'CD player' stopped working and I can't figure out why…I thought charming it to change CD's automatically would help…."

"Probably wasn't such a good idea. But before I try and fix it, Ginny says there's someone else you need to apologise to."

Harry glanced at Ginny's bedroom window, where he could see Hermione watching them. Ron looked puzzled, "Who?"

Harry shook his head and laughed at Ron's obliviousness, something he was ready to hit him for the previous day. "Well let's just say that calling girls you like swots probably isn't the best way of persuading them to go out with you." he made a gesture at Ginny's bedroom window, Hermione ducked out of view as both boys looked at her.

"How did you know I liked her?"

"I told him." Ginny joined them again, slipping her arm around Harry's waist, and looking at Ron in a way that almost dared him to protest. He didn't dare.

"Well…" Ron said, looking terrified at the very thought of apologising, "I suppose, I should probably say something."

When he entered Ginny's bedroom, Hermione was reading a book, and pretending she hadn't been waiting for him.

"What?" she said, in the same manner Harry had a few moments earlier.

Ron took a step forward as she put the book down on the floor next to her, "I'm sorry for calling you a swot and a know-it-all and for saying that you had a big nose because it's not actually that big in fact it's a pretty average size, not that you have an average nose in fact I'd say it was above average when compared to most girls noses."

Hermione raised her eyebrows as Ron instantly regretted everything he'd just said. It wasn't nearly as smooth or tactful as the speech he'd prepared on the way upstairs. "I'm sorry too Ron." she said, getting to her feet and leaning against the wall behind her.

"Er, ok then." Ron hesitated, "I'll go then." he turned to walk out of the room but Hermione stopped him.

"Ron?" she said, and he turned a little more eagerly than he would of liked, taking a few more steps into the room, "All that stuff I said about you and Harry, Ron…how you hate him because he's the centre of attention…I'm especially sorry about that, I know it isn't true…"

"Don't worry about it."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Ron felt compelled to break the awkward silence and picked up the Harry Potter action figure lying on Ginny's bed, she'd been playing with it earlier. It said, "I have a lightning shaped scar!"

Hermione walked forward to take it from him, "I was a little bored earlier, so I enchanted it to say 'Ow!' when you hit it on the head. Ginny said that was too tame though, so now it says…." She tapped the doll on the head, it said,

"Ow! Gerroff me you bastard!"

Ron laughed, "Yeah, that sounds more like Harry."

"No Ron, that sounds more like you."

She handed the doll back to him, and suddenly became horribly self-conscious of the fact that they were standing much closer than was necessary. She attempted to back away but was stopped by Ron's hand on her elbow, "Hermione…"

"Ron, do you really have a picture of me at the Yule Ball under your pillow?"

Ron did not answer, instead he grabbed Hermione's mouth with his own, pulling her into a rough kiss. The action figure dropped to the floor. 


	7. Chess

**Authors Note: Last chapter! Are we sad? Er, no...this is just a story. Good to see we all have lives then! Anyway, I'll probably be starting a new longterm story in a little while, in the meantime I like getting reviews on my oneshots, which are always a bit deeper than this. Check them out if you want something to read which I'm told is decent enough, and I know has correct spelling. Very short one just to round the chapter off.**

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Chapter Seven - Chess 

The day before they were due to go to Diagon Alley to collect school supplies, Ron and Harry sat between two trees playing wizard chess. Three of Ron's pawns decided to gang up on Harry's queen, and began beating her brutally.

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed, "What are they doing? That must be against the rules!"

Ron grinned, "This is one of Fred and George's 'Make Absolutely Sure You Win At Wizard Chess' sets, I'm testing it for them - it's far more violent."

As two of Harry's own pawns helped carry the queen away, he smiled, "Cool. I like it."

Ron looked around to see the pairs respective girlfriends making their way slowly to the bottom of the garden, and he shook his head in disbelief at his luck, remembering the miserable state with which they had entered their summer break just a few weeks earlier. It was true that Harry was still quieter, less humorous, but in comparisonwith two weeks ago, the positive effect Ginny had had on him was clear.

"What the hell happened to us mate?"

Harry leaned back against the tree as the two girls joined them, Ginny kissed him on the cheek and leaned against him as he put an arm around her. Hermione and Ron simply sat next to each other, it was still too new for them. Theysat closer than they would have otherwise though, and Hermione let her hand rest on his knee, Harry was unsure if she'd noticed or not.

"I dunno." Harry said in answer to Ron's question, "Summer does funny things to your head."

Then the chess set exploded.


End file.
